The Stag of the Storm
by ImperialPrussia
Summary: Story of the second and only trueborn son of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, Ruadan Baratheon, Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. As his brother Joffrey throws the realm into chaos and destruction, will Ruadan be able to choose between loyalty to his family, or loyalty to the realm and duty? First Fanfic, OC/Arianne Martell.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

Stag of the Storm Chapter 1

Cersei Lannister

The pain was near unbearable. Giving birth to a child was always something she knew would hurt, and thought going through it a second time wouldn't be as bad, but her screams echoed aroung the halls around her chambers as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms gave birth to her second child, a beautiful gold haired prince or princess to accompany her golden lion Joffrey.

"One more push, your grace." said the Grand Maester, Pycelle, a decrepit old lecher if ever Cersei knew one.

Finally, she heard a small whimper and the pain began to subside. 'Another child of mine and Jaime's' she thought. "A boy your grace, a healthy boy" said one of the midwives attending to her as she gave birth.

"Allow me to see my son". She demanded of the midwife who held the bundle containing her newborn son. After the nurse handed the child over and Cersei gently adjusted the bundle to get a full view of her son, she suddenly resisted the urge to gasp in horror as she looked down at her child. 'How did Robert get me pregnant?!' she screamed in her head, as she looked down at the tuft of black hair on her son's head.

"All of you out! And one of you fetch my brother! Cersei practically shouted at the midwives. Shortly after, Jaime arrived, looking slightly disheveled as he had raced down to his lover's chambers. "What is the matter sweet sister?" he asked softly, concern laced in his voice. Cersei simply nodded to the child and said "Get rid of it." to her brother.

Jaime gave her a look of shock and said "This is your son, you would really kill him, just because has Robert's hair? I will not kill the child Cersei, he is my nephew, and your son." "I can't!" Cersei cried. "I can't raise a child of that disgusting boar!" She couldn't put into words the disgust she felt for her _dear_ husband. "At least look at him before you make a decision." Reluctantly, the queen looked down at the child, and saw oceanic blue eyes, staring up at her with utter adoration. 'Mine' she thought. 'This child is mine and no other's. Not Jaime's, not Robert's. Mine alone' she thought.

After that, she dismissed her brother, and waited for her husband to arrive back from his customary hunt he went on whenever it was time for her to give birth. Finally he barged into the room, ordering Ser Barristan to wait outside the door. He laid a stag pelt at the foot of her bed, and looked at the bundle in Cersei's arms expectantly. She hesitantly handed the bundle over to her husband. He stared down at the child in his arms, and let out a chuckle as the child gurgled and pulled at his beard, and beamed with pride at his new son. "What shall we name him?" Robert asked. "Loren." Cersei suggested. Her husband frowned and scoffed. "Bugger that, this boy looks like me, i'm not giving him some shit Lannister name."

At that, Cersei resisted the urge to growl at her husband. "Any ideas then?" she asked, with a bite of irritation in her voice. Robert frowned in thought, before coming to a decision. "Ruadan" he murmured. 'An unusual name' thought Cersei. 'I'll let him name this one, the only child he will ever have. "Ruadan of the House Baratheon, Prince of the Seven Kingdoms." She said, confirming the child's name.

Robert beamed at that and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, an action most uncharacteristic of him, but given his joy at having a son who looked like him, Cersei knew that he was just being kind to her for that. 'I will NOT let my son be like you Whoremonger King' she raged in her mind 'he will be far better than you'. And with that, the King ordered a feast to celebrate the birth of the new Prince.


	2. Chapter 2 - Road to Winterfell (rewrite)

Stag of the Storm Chapter 2 - The North

Ruadan Baratheon

The North has always been a cold, unforgiving place to those who were not prepared for it. Though he was wrapped up in several layers of clothes and furs, Prince Ruadan still shuddered whenever a gust of piercing wind came along, making him feel like he was wearing barely anything. "This place is so bloody cold" muttered a voice behind the Prince. "On that we can agree Owain, on that we can agree" Ruadan responded to the captain of his guard, Owain Storm.

Ever since he turned 13, he decided he wanted his own company of loyal Baratheon guards, rather than the snobby Lannister guards his mother always sent around with him. He found the Lannister guards had too high an opinion of themselves, always looking down on him, even though he was a Prince, just because he didn't bear the name Lannister. Thus, he created an unquestionable loyal company of 50 guardsmen, whom Ruadan picked himself, and made Owain his captain of the guard. He knew all his men well, and he and his guards had a mutual, ironclad respect for each other.

Owain Storm was 20 years old, and a bastard of House Estermont. He was skilled with a blade, not as good as the likes of Ser Barristan or Ser Jaime, the Kingslayer, but certainly good enough to knock most men into the dirt. The two had met when he visited the seat of House Estermont, Greenstone, shortly before his 13th nameday. There, they had trained, laughed and feasted together, and before the Prince left, he requested to take Owain with him and name him captain of his personal guards. And thus, the two became best frisnds, and have spent many a day training and japing with one another.

Ruadan himself had developed into a very mature young man. He had grown tall and muscular, not to a ridiculous extent, but to an extent that made it clear he was very strong, more so than most his age. He had waist length black hair, that was straight, and often swayed in the Northern winds behind him, and his blue eyes looked like sapphires to his siblings emeralds. Ruadan had learnt from an early age that he must always be unpredictable, and thus no-one really knew what to expect from him in a fight.

Tyrion Lannister was by far his favourite of his relatives on his mother's side, and his favourite relative of all bar his younger siblings. He has taught Ruadan about the Game of Thrones, and thanks to spending time with Tyrion's father, Lord Tywin's tutoring, in addition to his natural perception, had made Ruadan's mind keen, and he was able to distinguish truth from lie with little difficulty most of the time, and always tried to remain one step ahead of political rivals. Ruadan had thus come to appreciate the power of knowledge as well as physical strength and skill.

Of his siblings, Ruadan's relationship with Joffrey was terrible. They had got along well when they were younger, but after Joffrey began to turn cruel, and began tormenting their younger sister Myrcella, and baby brother, Tommen, the dislike between the two of them began to grow. As Ruadan got more of his father's approval, in addition to their grandfather Tywin, Joffrey became bitter and resentful of his younger brother, and began targeting Tommen and Myrcella more, gutting Myrcella's pregnant cat and presenting it's unborn kittens to their father. Naturally, Robert had been disgusted, but Ruadan was livid, and, consumed by the legendary Baratheon rage, confronted his brother. It started with raised voices, but ultimately, they ended up wrestling on the floor, till their Uncle Jaime came and split them up, Joffrey being covered in bruises by the end of it. After that, the hate between them only grew.

Ruadan loved his younger siblings dearly, and wouldn't allow anyone to hurt them, and would hunt down and punish those who did. The younger children returned the affection tenfold, caring for Ruadan deeply, and they loved spending time with him, with him reading them stories, teaching Tommen basic swordplay, and listening to Myrcella singing, and watching her dance. He also cared greatly for his cousin, Shireen, whom, mistreated by her own mother, had come to be very close to Ruadan, who wasn't the least bit put-off by the greyscale that affected her, even going so far as to find and pay doctors who could treat and remove the greyscale. It was now reduced to a near invisible patch behind her ear. The two would often read and play together during his two years fostering on Dragonstone, and had as good a bond as Ruadan had with his younger brother and sister. He even went as far as to forbid Selyse from locking her daughter up. An unusual royal command, but one that was obeyed nonetheless.

Ruadan had complicated relationships with his parents. His father was proud of him, and spent more time with him than his other children, but was still most of the time drunk senseless or fucking whores. His mother was an enigma to him. Sometimes, warm, loving and the most caring mother in the world, other times, cold, harsh and downright cruel. He knew deep down his mother loved him, but her smothering Joffrey with affection and refusing to believe her golden lion could do any wrong really irked Ruadan. However, she would often call him her 'little stag', and they had a decent relationship at least. Finally, there were his Baratheon uncles, Stannis and Renly. He had a large amount of respect for Stannis, and was annoyed at his father's slights towards the man. He admired Stannis' upholding of honour and duty, and was all in all, his second favourite uncle after Tyrion. On the other hand, his relationship with Renly was amiable at best. He found his uncle silly, but all the while was wary of Renly's ambition.

"What do you think of Lord Stark then Ruadan" Owain asked, breaking the Prince out of his thoughts of his family. "He is a good man, and honourable man, but for all that, I doubt he'll do all too well in the capital. No doubt he'll hate it." Ruadan stated. "I have a bad feeling about how all this will end".

They were currently travelling to Winterfell to name Eddard Stark as Hand of the King, at his father's insistence, following the death of Jon Arryn. Ruadan found Jon's death suspicious, as not only had he been perfectly healthy the day before his death, but his wife and son had mysteriously fled the capital very soon afterwards. Ruadan was saddened by Jon's death, as he had been a grandfather figure to him, and had gifted Ruadan his large, black hound (think large Rottwieler/Collie cross) which he named Fenrir, and the two had become inseperable, much to the dismay of Cersei, who was wary of the animal, who seemed to share his master's feelings and emotions, growling when Ruadan was angry or annoyed, and whining when he was upset or worried.

"I heard the King plans to marry Joffrey of to Lady Sansa, what do you think of that Ru" Owain asked, calling Ruadan by his nickname that only those he knew well called him. "Not good. Joffrey is a total sadist, and from what I've seen of Sansa when I visited Winterfell, her head is as empty as a flowerpot. All she thinks of is valiant knights who all believe in chivalry, and will no doubt dream of giving birth to little princes and princess to her 'beloved' Joffrey". Ruadan replied, rolling his eyes at the thought. After that, Ruadan and Owain, as well as some of the guards, got into a vigorous debate about various topics, including about women, politics, travelling the continent, and places they had visited.

Ruadan's conversation with Owain and the guards was interrupted by his father shouting. "WHERE IS MY SON! RUADAN. GET YOUR BACKSIDE UP HERE NOW!" Sighing heavily, Ruadan rode up to meet with his father, his sword clattering at his side as he rode on his horse, Shadow, a gift on his 11th nameday from his Uncle Stannis, up the convoy. "You called, father?" he asked as he approached. "Aye. Well, there it is my son, Winterfell. We'd have made it a damn sight sooner if it wasn't for that shitty carriage" he said, turning his gaze away from the amazing castle of Winterfell to glare at the Royal Wheelhouse.

"Get your damn brother out of that blasted carriage." his fater ordered "He's the Crown Prince and it's about time he acted like it, you will ride in to Winterfell together."

As expected, Joffrey frowned at being out in the cold, rather than hiding behind the warmth of his mother's skirts and also moaning about the fact that his brother would ride alongside him into Winterfell, believing Ruadan not worthy of such an honour, causing Ruadan's eye to twitch at the insult. However, his father told him that it was not up for debate. Joffrey simply began sulking as normal and got into position to enter Winterfell, and finally, they steadily began their final approach to Winterfell, to meet Eddard 'Ned' Stark, and his family.

 **Right, I have rewritten this chapter to have more dialogue and less monologue, and leave Ruadan open to future character development. While he has been taught about the game of thrones, he has no experience in playing it, and knowing and doing, as we all know are two different things. I've also removed the paragraph about weaknesses, and decided to show what knowledge he does and doesn't possess as the story goes on. I left the parts about family relationships there, as I wanted to give readers a general idea of how he feels about his family. We shall see how he develops as the story goes on, but this chapter, as I said, is mainly to show Ruadan's family relationships, and the friendship between Ruadan and his guards, such as Owain. Also, as much as I don't like it, updates won't be as frequent as I'd like, as I have university to attend, and a server to manage, but I will update as often as I can.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Meet the Starks

Stag of the Storm Chapter 3 - Meeting the Starks

 **A/N: Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter. I apologize to all those who have been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for a new chapter. I did intend to update this much sooner, but unfortunately, family visits, uni work, my sister being seriously ill, and life just seeming to throw a never ending barrage of problems at me, has prevented me from updating this as soon as i had planned to. I know this chapter most likely won't make up for the wait, but I hope it is a start at least. Constructive criticism is welcome, but no flaming please. Enough of me rambling, on with the story!**

Robb Stark

The whole family minus Arya stood in a line awaiting the arrival of the royal family. Winterfell had been bustling with activity ever since the raven had arrived to notify their father of the king's intent to travel to Winterfell. Their father was visibly apprehensive of meeting his brother in all but blood again after so long. Robb could understand, no-one knew what to expect, not even their father, as nine years is a long time, and anyone can change in that amount of time.

Robb was broken out of his musings by his mother whispering urgently "Where's Arya?! Sansa, where is your sister?". Sansa simply shrugged, but not a moment later did a blur run across the courtyard, only to be caught by Ned. The blur turned out to be his youngest sister with a helmet on, which she was quickly relieved of.

"What are you doing with that on?" Father asked, taking the helmet and passing it back to Ser Rodrick. "Go on" he said, with a hidden smile at his daughter's antics. Arya groaned quietly, before making her way over to stand next to Sansa, pushing Bran to the side with a "Move", and about ten seconds later, the royal entourage entered the courtyard.

First came several Lannister guards, followed by two young men, one with golden blonde hair, the other with black hair. Robb guessed the one with blonde hair was the Crown Prince, Joffrey, with his ever loyal guard dog, Sandor Clegane, the Hound, right behind him. Immediately, Robb knew he didn't like him, with his lean frame, pouty lips curved into a slight, malign smirk as he looked at something. Robb followed the prince's eye line and saw Sansa staring at Joffrey, blushing slightly with a small smile on her face. Robb didn't like the look of this one bit, as clearly his sister was becoming infatuated with someone he was sure wasn't as angelic as he seemed to be.

Turning away from his sister and the crown prince, Robb observed the other boy, a relatively muscular young man, with wavy, waist length, ebony black hair, and midnight blue eyes. This must be Ruadan, the so-called Black Prince. He was currently looking around with mild interest, taking in the sight of Winterfell for the first time. His eyes then locked onto Robb's, and the prince gave a courteous nod of the head, which Robb returned.

The sound of rattling wheels was heard, and the royal wheelhouse, no doubt bearing the queen and her younger children, entered the courtyard. Right behind it, followed the King, who was not at all what Robb expected. This was the king?! The famous 'Demon of the Trident' their father spoke so highly of?! All Robb saw was a very fat man, with a beard to try hide his multiple chins, riding a horse that Robb felt sorry for into the courtyard. The King halted, waiting for a servant to bring steps so he could dismount his horse, before striding over towards them. Instinctively, The Starks and everyone else in the courtyard knelt before him. When the King reached the line, he beckoned them to stand. His father then spoke. "Your Grace."

For a moment there was silence before the King spoke "You've got fat."

Ned looked startled for a moment, while Robb saw Ruadan smirking, mildly amused out of the corner of his eye. Ned then regained his composure before looking down pointedly at the King's bulging belly then back to his face as though to say 'so have you'. The tense atmosphere in the courtyard was then shattered when the King and Ned broke into chuckles and then embraced like long lost brothers. When he released Ned, he turned to Catelyn, embracing her while warmly calling her 'Cat', an embrace she returned with a polite 'Your Grace'.

Turning back to Ned, the King spoke once more "9 years, why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?"

"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace, Winterfell is yours." Ned replied as the Queen, Cersei Lannister, exited the wheelhouse and strode over to them, disdain etched across her otherwise admittedly beautiful features. Extending her hand, Ned kissed it, as Catelyn curtsied, both with a polite 'My Queen'.

The King then moved down the family. "You must be Robb." he said, before they firmly clasped hands, the King looking mildly impressed at his grip. The King complimented Sansa on her beauty, before pausing. "And your name is...?" the King asked his youngest sister, gaining a bold "Arya" in reply, after which he moved on to Bran, telling Robb's younger brother that he's make a fine soldier one day.

Arya was next to break the silence when she excitedly exclaimed "That's Jaime Lannister! The Queen's twin brother!", earning her a harsh 'shut up' from Sansa, who was clearly embarrassed at Arya's outburst. She looked confused for a moment before asking "Where's the Imp?", earning her another harsh reprimand from her sister.

The King then called out "Ned, take me to your crypts, I want to pay my respects." Something which Ned looked uncomfortable about, as the Queen's gaze seemed to grow colder, and Prince Ruadan had a slightly reproachful look in his eye, as though tempted to berate his father for his tactlessness.

"We have been riding for a month my love." the Queen said without a hint of warmth "Surely the dead can wait?" The King ignored her however, motioning to Ned, to follow, with a mention of his name. Ned gave the Queen an apologetic look before following his old friend.

"Where's the Imp?" Came Arya's voice again. The Queen wrinkled her nose slightly in response to hearing this, and turned to her twin, commanding him to 'Find the little beast'. A voice called across to her as Jaime left to look for him.

"You know, the 'beast' you refer to has a name, Tyrion, and it would be better if you refer to him as such mother" The voice of the Black Prince carried across the courtyard as he dismounted his horse. The Queen simply grimmaced but held her tongue, whilst Ruadan moved to help his siblings out of the wheelhouse, before making his way over to greet them as the Queen, Prince Joffrey, Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella made their way up to their accommodation.

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan made his way over to the Starks as his mother and siblings left to get comfortable in their lodgings for their stay here in Winterfell. He on the hand, stayed to talk to the Stark family.

"A pleasure to meet you Stark family. My name is Ruadan Baratheon" He said with a polite bow to the Starks.

A tall, lean boy with thick auburn hair, who Ruadan assumed was the eldest stepped forward before replying. "It is an honour to meet you my Prince, on behalf of our family, I welcome you to Winterfell, my name is Robb Stark". Ruadan then made his greetings, even greeting Theon Greyjoy and, to everyone's surprise, Jon Snow, before taking a tour of Winterfell with Robb, before retiring to his lodgings to bathe and prepare to the feast that night.

 **And that's a wrap for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Just to say, I didn't include the scenes where they execute the deserter from the Night's Watch, find the direwolves or when Ned is offered the hand of the king position because it is exactly the same as every other fanfiction that involves this part of the story (a good number of them). I hope that I can get the next chapter out quicker for you guys, but it all depends on university, as my timetables for lectures are subject to near constant change, so I can't say anything for definite.**

 **Also, I would like to propose a poll to decide the pairing. I was originally going to go for Sansa straight up, but decided in the end, that I wanted to let you, the readers decide. Candidates are Sansa, Arya, Margeary and Arianne. If you wish for a character other than these four, then please state your exact reasons why, then I will see if it is plausible or not.**

 **As always, favourites and follows are greatly appreciated if you like the story, and reviews as well. Remember, this is my first fanfic so no flaming please, constructive criticisms only. See you in the next chapter! o/**


	4. Chapter 4 - 'Quality' Time in Winterfell

Stag of the Storm Chapter 4 - 'Quality' Time in Winterfell

 **A/N: Hey guys. Finally got enough free time to write a chapter. Sorry if it seems a bit rushed, but I've kept you guys waiting long enough, so without further ado, let's get on with it!**

Arya Stark

Arya knew she was in for a shouting at from her mother and Septa Mordane later but she didn't care. Despite the fact they knew she hated it, they still forced her to do needlework. Still, the look on the Mordane's face when she took her leave was priceless.

Arya proceeded to make her way towards the training yard, where she could hear the clashing of wooden blades. As she reached the balcony overlooking the yard, she couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her brother Robb trouncing Prince Joffrey in a sword fight. She saw Prince Ruadan stood talking to Jon, all the while looking down thouroughly disappointed with his brother's lack of martial skill.

"Hello there Arya" Ruadan greeted with a warm smile. That was one thing about Prince Ruadan that she appreciated. Unlike Joffrey, while Ruadan had as much pride as his older brother, he lacked Joffrey's arrogance. He was kind and polite to her, if a little over-courteous for her liking. "A shame you could not watch the whole bout, then again there wasn't much to see. My _dear_ older brother can't swing a sword right to save his life. He thinks himself above such things. It would be quite amusing to see if he could still view himself above it if you went down there and knocked him on his arse like your brother just did." Ruadan continued with a poorly suppresed smirk.

"Are you not joining them in the yard?" Arya asked, confused as to why Ruadan was not down with his brother, Robb and Theon. Ruadan simply raised an eyebrow before responding. "And listen to my brother's constant whining like a beaten dog, trying to embarrass others only to dig himself into a deeper hole? No thank you." Arya had to try hard to hide her giggles, try being the operative word.

"So Jon, you still set on taking the black?" Arya couldn't help the pang of sadness she felt at this topic. "Honestly, after what you told me about it, I'm not so sure. I don't know about joining the Night's Watch anymore, but I can't stay here. Lady Stark will murder me in my sleep as soon as father goes down south." Ruadan gave him a sympathetic look, something that confused Arya, before clapsing a hand on Jon's shoulder. "If you wish it Jon, I can offer you a place in my personal guards". Jon's eyes widened. "And what would your parent's say about allowing a _bastard_ to join your guards?" Came Jon's slightly tense reply.

Ruadan sighed and rubbed his temples, clearly getting annoyed with Jon's somber and self depricating personality. "Look Jon, Owain is a bastard too, yet he is the captain of my guard" Ruadan stated, motioning to said guard, who was now watching Robb and Theon spar in the yard below. "Owain is a good swordsman, even though he is of low birth. I value talent and loyalty in my guards Jon, not blood or status." Jon simply studied the bannister as though it was now the most interesting thing in the world. "I will need time to think on this" he finally replied. Ruadan nodded in response. "Take all the time you need. I shall take my leave, see you later, Jon, Arya." And with that, he walked off towards the main keep.

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan found himself becoming increasingly frustrated with a great many things. He sat in his solar wondering why everyone has to be so miserable around him, with the exception of Uncle Tyrion and his younger siblings of course. Jon Snow is the best swordsman in Winterfell and would make a fine addition to his guards. His mother would know doubt bust his eardrums arguing about it again. Ruadan grimaced at the thought. He could almost see Joffrey with that smug leer on his face as she would compare him to his older brother in a negative light, his grimmace turning into a scowl at the memory of her lectures.

If there was anything that Ruadan hated, it was being compared in any way to his older brother, or equated to his father just because of his eye and hair colour, or his physical build. Ruadan had learnt a great many things during his studies with both Tywin Lannister and Stannis Baratheon. From talking with Shireen and Tyrion, he had learnt very quickly that one should never judge based on appearances of first impressions. Tyrion was a perfect example of this. Many viewed him as a drunken, whoremongering little beast, but in reality he was insightful, cunning and capable of being utterly ruthless. This was why he valued Tyrion's advice above all others. Shireen was also very intelligent, being a near-obsessive book lover, and had taken to teaching his Uncle Stannis' advisor Ser Davos Seaworth, a former crabber's son turned knight, how to read.

Ruadan then heard a knock on his door.

"Enter" he stated in a mildly bored voice, Ruadan's father then entered, sober for a change. This greatly unnerved Ruadan. Robert Baratheon was only ever this sober when he was about to tell him something very important. "What is it?" Ruadan sighed impatiently. He couldn't help the forebording feeling within him. "We need to discuss your future marriage". Ruadan's face drained of all expression. "And why are we discussing this here?" Came the emotionless reply. Ruadan was not looking forward to being married. Most noble ladies annoyed him, with their constant drivel and fawning over his brother like he was a sick puppy. Fenrir, as if sensing his master's irritation, came over and nuzzled Ruadan's hand, which on instinct began stroking the hound's head, allowing Ruadan to calm himself to the point of rational thought.

"I have been contemplating betrothing you to one of Ned's daughters..." Robert began, before Ruadan held up a hand to stop him. "No." came the one word reply. "No...?" Robert replied, anger beginning to seep into his eyes at being denied his wishes. "I will not marry either of them. Sansa is naive and foolish, as pretty as she is, like all the other noble ladies i'm forced to deal with in the south, and Arya would never be accepted down in the south. Personally, I don't care what she does so long as it does not concern me, but i will not marry her." Robert sighed. He should have anticipated this kind of response. "Ruadan, even if you are the second prince, you need to marry to secure our dynastic future." 'Oh not this shit again' Ruadan internally cursed, fed up at being reminded of that fact. Both the fact that he is the 'second prince' and the fact that he has to marry for familial benefit, something his grandfather would never stop rambling on about.

"I will marry a woman that I feel is worthy of being my wife, but it is not Sansa or Arya" Ruadan stated, his tone with a voice of finality. "Fine." Robert replied. "But you better be married by your eight-and-tenth nameday or I will find you a bride and you will have no say in the matter." And with that, Robert left, to go find wine and whores Ruadan had no doubt.

 **And another chapter done! So, the subject of Ruadan's inevitable marriage has been broached, and it would seem Arianne Martell will be Ruadan's wife based on the reviews, having recieved the most votes, and I appreciate the feedback I've recieved so far in the comments. Now, I have two more questions to ask of you, and please answer in the reviews. 1) Should Jon join Ruadan's guards or the Night's Watch? 2) Do you want to see Ruadan fight a war to take the crown from Joffrey, or fight (against his better judgement really) for his 'brother'? Now onto the reviews:**

 **C.E.W: I see what you mean. Personally, I was kind of started leaning towards Arianne after reading this, as she is a sorely underused character, and her interactions with other characters should be far less predictable, and more fun and challenging for me to write, so it's a win-win situation I guess.**

 **Alyn Mg: Thanks for the feedback. Without giving too much away, I don't plan to let Joffrey walk all over the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, even though I'm still figuring out how to write that, but I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **EnglishKitsune: Indeed. It's very rare to see interaction between Arianne and Cersei, as the former is not used very often, only seen in Lion with Antlers and the Anduin Baratheon fanfiction, and even then, any interaction between the two is negligable. Thanks for the feedback, and hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **Tritan: Sadly you'll have to make do with Arianne, but there will still be interaction between Margaery and Ruadan, don't worry. Thanks for the feedback.**

 **So guys, don't forget to review, and fav and follow if you like the story. Will try get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but no promises on when exactly.**

 **Till the next chapter. o/**


	5. AN: Polls

**Sorry for those who thought this was a new chapter, but just letting all the followers and favouriters know that I really appreciate that you are enjoying the story, and wish to read more.**

 **I just wanted to post this note to say that polls for Ruadan's future path of fighting for or against Joffrey for the crown is now up, and whether Jon will join Ruadan or the Night's Watch.**

 **I will close the poll in two weeks and then review any chapters I have written by then to meet your wishes for the story direction, as I want you guys to have a bit of a say in how the story goes, as it is for your enjoyment, and I'd rather not take it in a direction that you guys would find boring.**

 **As for the reviews I've had since the last chapter:**

 **Calem Phoenix: a few things about that. One, Ruadan is not afraid to use any methods to achieve his ends, and let's not forget a certain Red Woman who lives on Dragonstone. Ruadan is no follower of R'hllor, but he will not turn away from a chance to help his cousin. Ruadan can be very determined when he wants to be.**

 **Vandal: a few things to say here too. First off, Ruadan has faults, just like anyone else. He has a relatively short temper, as shown with how quickly he can get annoyed when discussing topics he has no interest in, and has a certain degree of that legendary Lannister arrogance. As for saying he is as arrogant as Joffrey, that isn't true. Ruadan is a person who values talent, and despises it when people try to kiss up to him because he is a prince. He means 'worthy' by someone who is an intellectual equal, or as close to as he can find, rather than some empty-headed, naive little girl like Sansa, not like Joff who thinks no-one is worthy of him just because he is the future king.**

 **Guest: honestly I haven't thought that far ahead just yet, as the pairing has only just been decided, but I doubt she will be as promiscuous once she is married, as Ruadan would not stand for it. Her history before marriage will be much the same as in the books, but after she is married to Ruadan, you shall have to wait and see.**


	6. Chapter 5 - Journey to the Capital

Stag Of The Storm Chapter 5 - Journey to the Capital

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan was not having a good day. Woken up at the crack of dawn by the bustling outside, unable to get back to sleep and now, he and Jon, who had accepted Ruadan's offer of joining his guards, were having to search for Arya, who had reportedly gone missing after 'attacking' Joffrey. Ruadan mentally scoffed. If Arya had set her wold on him as he claimed, his brother wouldn't have lived to tell such a pathetic tale.

They still had no luck finding her, and it was getting dark. Then, Fenrir made a bark towards his master. "What is it boy? Do you have a scent trail?" The hound merely barked, before moving towards a certain spot on the banks of the trident where Ruadan saw... "Arya!" Ruadan said, after sighting the girl. Arya turned, startled, before relaxing slightly at who she saw. "Come along, there is some explaining that needs to be done. I shall take you to your father, before we confront my parents." Ruadan shuddered at what his mother would want to do to Arya.

They began their journey back to camp in silence, Jon trailing behind Arya and the Prince, before Arya decided to break it. "I heard you had a bit of an arguement with your father?" She asked. Ruadan merely sighed. "That man is determined to marry me off, without giving a damn about my feelings in the matter. I wish to marry someone who I see as an intelectual equal, that I can talk to about anything, and have an enjoyable conversation. Not some naive girl who thinks men just go for them for their looks, and they have to be a good housewife, your sister for example. She's fair to look upon yes, but she is unbelievably boring. All these tales of princes and knights she spews about the South. What rubbish." Ruadan finished with a small scowl on his face.

Arya was surprised. "You don't find my sister attractive? Well that's my first time hearing that." Ruadan chuckled slightly. "Most men are vain and only go for women with good looks. I don't care much for that. Oh sure, I have standards for appearance, but that isn't all there is. There are the matters of what benefit it brings my family, and as I said before, if they are intelligent, witty, cunning, and capable of getting their hands dirty if the need should arise, which most women are not prepared to do. Anyway, we are nearly back at camp."

They entered the camp in silence, before two Lannister guards approached. "My Prince. I see you have found the girl. We shall take her to the Queen". The guard stated, in a somewhat arrogant tone. Ruadan merely stared at the man before speaking in a dangerously low tone that left no room for arguement. "No. The girl will go to her father. Go and tell my mother we shall arrive once Lord Stark has seen his daughter is safe." The guards looked at each other. "But my Pr-". Whatever he was about to say was cut off when Ruadan shouted "GO TELL MY MOTHER WE WILL ARRIVE WHEN I HAVE TAKEN HER TO LORD STARK! NOW!" It didn't take long for the soldiers to pale, turn and walk as fast as they could without running back to the keep. "Jon, see to it that Arya makes it to her father. I shall go and speak to my mother and father." Jon merely nodded with a "Yes my Prince", and escorted Arya back to her father's tent.

Cersei Lannister

Cersei couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness. How early an opportunity to get rid of those monstrous beasts the Starks called pets, and maybe an opportunity to get rid of a member of that barbarian Northern farmily. Her Golden son had been maimed by the younger girl's beast, and now she and the wolf will pay. Cersei however was angry that her second son, Ruadan hadn't brought the girl immediately, but ulimately, it would make little difference to her plan to rid her family of that accursed bunch of Northerners.

She thought for a moment on her second son. Ruadan was rather reclusive for the most part. He hated court, and people attempting to get close to him for his status. In a way, Cersei found it admirable, but also was concerned. Ruadan spent time with Tommen and Myrcella, and her monstrous dwarf brother, but hardly any with her or Joff. She was concerned about the two clashing with one another, as they had come to dislike each other immensly. Despite her inner desire to see Joffrey as the better of the two, she had a sinking feeling recently that if it came to a fight between them, Joffrey would lose. Ruadan was stronger, and, despite his hatred of it, knew how to use his political talents to make allies. How the hell he managed to make friends with the Dornish Princess and her uncles was beyond her. Many a time had she seen Prince Oberyn visit the capital, and spend time sparring, joking and drinking with Ruadan, and that's not to mention the Princess of Dorne's seductive looks at her son. It unnerved her. She would never allow her son to marry that Dornish Whore Arianne Martell. She would rather let him marry that Highgarden harlot Margeary Tyrell than a Dornishwoman.

She was interrupted from her musings when Lord Stark entered the room. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you summoned me here?" He demanded. "Cereful Lord Stark, watch how you speak to the Ki-" The Queen began before Robert cut her off "Quiet woman! Ned, my son Joffrey claims your daughter attacked him." Arya looked most indignant. "That's not what happened! She just... bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah!"

The Queen did not like that accusation "Joffrey told us what happened, you and that butcher's boy attacked him with clubs while you set your wolf on him. The beast nearly tore his arm off." She seethed. Arya responded with a furious shout "That's not what happened!". Joffrey then told the 'truth' they had spoken about before this little trial. "Yes it is, They attacked me and threw my sword in the river." Arya and Joffrey continued their arguement until the King silenced them.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed, and the two obeyed, but still glared daggers at each other. "Ruadan, what do you make of this?" Robert asked. Ruadan was clearly not expecting to be asked his opinion, but nonetheless gave it, the Queen watching her second son warily. "Joffrey is lying." He simply stated. Joff went red with anger, and rightfully so in Cersei's eyes, as she too sent a furious stare at her son, who simply shrugged it off. "I'M NOT LYI-" "Yes you are lying. You say you were beaten? Where are you bruises and welts then? You say she set her wolf on you? If it had attacked you in such a manner it would have ripped your throat out and you would not be standing here telling us your lies, and finally, you can't even lie convincingly, you can't even look others in the eyes." Joff and Cersei simply glared swords, worse than daggers, at the Black Prince, who was still particularly uncaring at this point.

"Father, to prevent something like this from happening again, have the remaining wolf sent back to Winterfell, for it's own safety more than anything. You know my brother's habits when it comes to pets." Sansa glared at Ruadan, not seeing the reason Ruadan was sending Lady away. With that, the second prince motioned to his sworn shield Owain to follow, and his hound Fenrir followed behind them.

Eddard Stark

The Warden of the North was indebted to Prince Ruadan. He had saved Arya from the hands of the Lannisters, and saved Lady from potential retribution, given that Nymeria was missing. To add to that, he had given Jon a place in his guards, helping him to get out of Winterfell, and experience things he wouldn't be able to by joining the Night's Watch.

As the party made it's way further southwards, Ned couldn't help but fell that this was only the beginning of a monstrous political headache that he would have to tackle when they reached King's Landing. He only hoped that Ruadan could continue to help him when they got to the capital. Gods knew he'd need it.

 **Hey guys. Sorry it's somewhat short, but I am still finishing my plans for how to get Arianne and Ruadan together. I've decided to have Ruadan be prior aquaintences with the Dornish. As to how he got on their good side... you'll have to wait for later in the story to find out. Add to that family issues, making a documentary for my uni projects, and helping my friends with youtube recordings means i've had little time to dedicate to story writing, but I decided to at least upload this to not keep you guys waiting forever for an update. Now, on the reviews:**

 **Guest: Sure, Arianne is rather wanton, and regardless of what we want in the story, that is how she was written by George R.R. Martin, so if I change her in such a drastic manner, it wouldn't be Arianne, so she will be remaining as she is in the books, at least for now.**

 **JimmyHall24: I'm glad you approve, and will do my best to make it an enjoyable story for you to read.**

 **Andrews31: Well you got part of your wish already, Jon is with Ruadan. As for the latter part, you shall have to wait and see what happens.**

 **Also, the poll results were overwhelmingly in favour of Ruadan fighting against Joffrey, and Jon joining Ruadan's guards. So here we go, Jon is now in the guards, and the estrangement between the two brothers continues to grow. How long until breaking point? You'll have to wait and see.**

 **As always, hope you enjoyed reading, and see you next time o/**

 **ImperialPrussia**


	7. Chapter 6 - Back to King's Landing

Stag of the Storm Chapter 6 - Back to King's Landing

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan was still in a foul mood. Besides his brother's constant complaining, Sansa being a naive pain in the arse and his mother's anger at him for 'disrespecting his brother', he knew he would have to deal with more problems as he made his way to the small council chamber with Lord Stark.

Owain and Jon had gone to help get the Starks settled in, and a messanger had arrived anouncing a small council meeting was being convened. Ruadan had been a little surprised when he recieved the news that he was holding Uncle Stannis' seat on the council until he returned from Dragonstone. Indeed, the second prince was concerned as to why Stannis had left to begin with. He had just packed up and left without so much as a by-your-leave from his father, and the fact that it had happened right after the death of Jon Arryn, who had been seen having many a talk with Stannis, began to set of more and more alarm bells. He knew his uncle well, and that he would _never_ abandon his duty.

"My Lords" Ruadan was broken from his thoughts as they entered the small council chambers. Varys spoke first. "Welcome to the capital Lord Stark, we were grievously sorry to hear of the troubles on the King's Road. We are all praying for Prince Joffrey's full recovery." Ruadan merely rolled his eyes as he resisted the urge to let out a derisive snort 'As if anyone cares for that little shit, least of all you spider' Ruadan thought to himself. The man was an enigma to him. He seemed genuinely interested in the betterment of the realm, but it was ever unclear what exactly that meant, although Ruadan had his suspicions. "Shame you didn't save prayer for the butcher's son" was Lord Stark's swift reply. 'I couldn't agree more'.

"Renly, you're looking well" Lord Stark gave Robert's youngest brother a hug. Ruadan got along well enough with his youngest uncle he supposed, but he was wary of the man's ambitions. He spent _far_ too much time in the company of the Tyrells, Ser Loras in particular, for it to be healthy instead of doing his duties as Lord of the Stormlands and Master-Of-Laws. Ruadan was all too aware of the 'Fat Flower' Mace Tyrell's ambition to see his daughter on the throne. 'Not by my side she won't be' Ruadan mentally smirked. If his brother did the world a service by dying and he did become King, that honour would belong to another. The man was just too selfish, foolish and unreliable to be truster in Ruadan's opinion "And you tired from the road. I told them this meeting could wait another day bu-"

"But we have a Kingdom to rule" Ruadan resisted the urge to draw his sword and ram it through Baelish's groin. He detested the man with a burning passion. Ruadan had some of his spies investigate Baelish's brothels as part of a general investigation against the man due to the clearly woeful mismanagment of crown spending. He had discovered some disturbing things Littlefinger aquired for certain clients. Add to that the rumours of him and the Tully sisters... Ruadan made a mental note to keep Baelish as far away from the 'Mad Trout' Lysa as possible. 'You are not getting any more powerful under my watch, disgusting little creep' "An honour Lord Stark, I'm sure your wife has mentioned me." Ruadan decided to respond verbally this time. "Not nearly as much as you have mentioned her Lord Baelish" Ruadan couldn't help but smirk a little as Baelish's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Lord Stark" Finally the Grand Maester, Pycelle, made himself known to Eddard. Again, the man was a deciever. He had Lord Tywin's ear, and was no where near as frail as he seemed to be after one of Ruadan's agents discovered his... proclivities. He would be as bad as Robert for whoring if not for his age. 'Let's hope you keel over soon and we get a not-so-dishonest Grand Maester.

After the greetings were over, Ruadan sat and listened to the matters of state, contributing where needed. He also got reports from Varys about his projects in the capital to improve welfare conditions, in preperation for future plans to rebuild the capital as financed would allow it. In the meantime, with his father's consent, he had ordered the building of orphanges and food houses, as well as employing people to clean the shit off the streets, and beggars be put to work in the fields to work on new farms, using new, working farming procedures desgined to improve general crop yield, to get as much food as possible for the coming winter.

He agreed that the upcoming tourney was just an extravagant waste of time and money, although as it was also the celebration of his name-day, he knew there was no way to stop it entirely. Ruadan was starting to feel a headache from dealing with the problems his father was causing. Make no mistake he loved his father, but he was in no way blind to Robert's failings as a leader and a King. The man was made for war, and only war. Politics on the other hand... well, all can see what 19 years of that has done to him. From physically imposing and handsome, to fat, drunken and repulsive.

As they left the council chambers, Lord Stark approached him. "My Prince, I was wondering if I may have a word?" Ruadan was quick to reply with a smirk. "Need something for the headache first?" Ned couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "It'll take more than a single meeting I hope."

"How may I be of service then Lord Stark?" Ruadan was indeed intruiged. "I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow to discuss methods to reduce the crown debt, and so I may have some insight into the members of the small council?" Ruadan nodded. "That should be fine, I will meet you after lunch tomorrow. Till then Lord Stark.

Cersei Lannister

Her Golden Lion had just left to woo the eldest Stark girl, much to her chagrin, though at least she was easy to manipulate. However what occupied her mind is that he was still irate at his younger brother. Cersei herself was confilcted. She was angry at him for being so rude to his elder brother and not allowing that Northern savage Arya Stark to be punished as she deserved, but also couldn't help but feel proud of him for so effortlessly seeing through his older brother so easily.

One thing was concerning her though more than anything with her second son. According to reports, Prince Oberyn and Princess Arianne Martell will be arriving at the capital tomorrow, and she wasn't so ignorant to the looks Ruadan and the Dornish Princess would share. Both clearly liked the other, and the Queen did not like that one bit, but what could she do? Prince Oberyn would kill all the Lannisters in their sleep if they harmed her or even upset her in any way. Cersei fought the urge to sigh. The conflict between her sons had to be resolved, and Ruadan persuaded to spend time with other noble women to make him see sense that that Dornishwoman was no good for him. Thus, Cersei began to make her plans to deal with the Starks and the Martells, and bring her wayward son back under her full control.

 **And that's a wrap for this chapter! So, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Arianne should make her appearance in the next couple of chapters, along with everyone's favourite Red Viper. I decided to use this chapter to focus on Ruadan's thoughts of the members of the small council, and to show that he has ambitions in the capital, and his suspicions about a great many goings on within red keep.**

 **Now, onto the reviews:**

 **Charles Caesar: Glad you enjoyed it and here it is :)**

 **riley1506106: Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot and makes me want to keep writing this, no matter how much writer's block I seem to suffer from. Will try keep the chapters coming every couple of weeks or so, but it depends on personal life not being a bitch :p**

 **Guest: Well here is your next chapter :p I'm glad you like it. I agree with you as well. Ruadan's lack of patience and somewhat dismissive nature can cause him problems in the long run, and as this will all be a long challenge for him, he's not going to have it easy like so many others seem to do. I gave him the flaws to make him a believable character, as there are NO paragons out there in GoT, so why take all the fun out of a GoT story by putting one in that 'fixes all the problems'? I decided on Arianne for a few reasons, but mainly because it is different, and commits Dorne firmly to one side when the confilct begins, rather than ambiguously floating around, and Ruadan can potentially the North's support through his friendships with Jon, Arya and Robb, so a marriage isn't needed, and the Starks are a little overused as pairing material in Baratheon fics. I'm glad you approve :D**

 **As always, if you like, favourite and follow, and don't forget to review, constructive feedback is appreciated :) See you next time o/**

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	8. Chapter 7 - Politics and a Princess

Stag of the Storm Chapter 7 - Politics and a Princess

Eddard Stark

As had been asked, Eddard headed towards Prince Ruadan's chambers after their midday meal. Eddard's thoughts on the second prince were positive, although he couldn't for the life of him figure out what the endgame of the Black Prince was. He had been making a great many improvements to the capital, both to improve living standards and accomodate increased trade, and other methods of increasing the crown income. He was curious just how much more Ruadan had done outside of the capital, and how much more he had planned.

Eddard arrived at Ruadan's chambers and knocked. "Enter" came the Prince's voice from within. The door opened, and Eddard was greeted by the Prince's face. "Please come in Lord Stark." He spoke, beckoning Ned to enterm before closing the door behind him. "So, you wished to speak to me about the council, and the crown debt if I remember correctly Lord Stark?" Sharp and to the point, not that Eddard expected any less from the second prince by now, he was nothing if not efficient with his time.

"Correct my prince, so let us discuss the council first, I want to know who I can rely on for support." Ned had hoped to be able to rely on a more solid council, but was disappointed by the end of the first council meeting. "The answer to that is simple. You can't trust anyone. Lesson one here Lord Stark. Let no-one know what you know, the Queen, Lord Varys, Baelish and Pycelle even, they all have spies." Eddard was shocked by this information, before chuckling slightly. "Next you'll be telling me you have spies my prince." Ruadan regarded him with an blank gaze. "Y-You do have spies my prince?" He asked, slightly surprised. "Indeed. My network is on par with that of Baelish for size, but is by far the most efficient and well hidden. You should know by now that I do not tolerate idleness." Again, Lord Stark was momentarily speechless, before regaining his composure.

"Let us discuss them one at a time my prince." Ruadan nodded. "Pycelle?" Ned querried about the Grand Maester first. "Cannot be trusted unless you trust the Lannisters. Unless you want Lord Tywin to know, then tell him nothing of import." Ned was suprised, he was hoping Pycelle would be more trustworthy. "Lord Renly?" Asking of the master-of-laws next, Ned really hoped the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands would be of better repute. "Lord Renly is more trustworthy than the others, but not by much. He is kind, yes. But foolish. He knows how to talk and how to dress, but apart from that, he takes his job as seriously as my father takes his." Again, Ned was disappointed. "Varys?" Ned asked next. "He is a mysterious one. He seems to want the betterment of the realm genuinely, but how he aims to do that is beyond me, but he is more trustworthy than Pycelle or Baelish." Ned raised an eyebrow at the last name. "Baelish" Ruadan's face morphed into a scowl at the name. "Yes, Baelish. Out of all of them, he is the worst, and the one that you should trust by far the least. Actually, especially you Lord Stark." That got Ned's attention. "Why me particularly?" He asked, genuinly concerned as to why. "You may not know this, but Baelish spread rumours a while ago about taking the maidenheads of both the Tully sisters, and to this day still lusts after your wife. Before you do anything rash, I once again state, you can not let _anyone_ know what you know here, that is the easiest way to get yourself killed."

Ned kept a calm mask, but inside he was seething. That little worm daring to claim to have soiled his wife. He knew for a fact Catelyn came to his bed a maiden, so that made the rumour false, but it still made him boil inside that Baelish would say such things. "Very well, but this deception is as far as I will go. Now, what of reducing the crown's debts?" Ned could already feel another headache coming on. "That is going to be a tricky one. Due to being his protegé, I can keep Lord Tywin of our backs for now until we get the money to begin repaying him. I will not let him bend us over backwards when he wants his loans repaying. However, from my business ventures and trading company, I have made enough coin to begin in repaying our debt to the Iron Bank. That debt needs paying first." Ned was suprised once more, learning that the Prince was already taking steps to combat the crown debt. "You may also rest assured that the coin will also cover tourney expenses. As the tourney is on my nameday, father will expect some celebration, so we can't stop it completely, even if I find it a waste of time and resources."

After that, they they spoke for another half an hour before Ned had to take his leave, having much to think about. Oh how he wished sometimes that his daughter had been betrothed to Ruadan instead, although he knew it would never happen after he broached the topic with Robert, only for the king to reveal he had already spoken to Ruadan, who had refused any such idea. Ned sighed, before heading back to his chambers, with his headache in full swing. Little did he know, that things were only just beginning.

Ruadan Baratheon

After Lord Stark left, Ruadan neatened himself up, before heading down to the training yard. He was planning to ride in the tourney, so he decided to practice his skills. Wielding his twin one-handed longswords, Ruadan proceeded to lay waste to any who stepped against him, he simply parried with one blade before bringing the other round with deadly accuracy, to his opponents unguarded spots, knocking them to the ground or causing enough pain to incapacitate, but not seriously injure his opponents, and as such forcing them to yield. Ruadan knew he had to remain sharp with a blade. He knew that war was inevitable once his father passed away, Joffrey's idiocy would see to that. As Ruadan knocked Jon into the dirt, he heard a voice full of mirth behind him. "So, you are as good with your blades as every I see, all of them if my niece is to be believed" Ruadan turned to see a young man with olive skin, dark hare and piercing eyes, as the Red Viper stood at the edge of the yard, spear at the ready. Jon went wide eyed at the remark, not surprisingly as he did not know of the relationship between his liege and the Princess of Dorne.

Ruadan smirked "I wasn't aware that you were in the capital yet Uncle Oberyn. I thought you'd be practicing your spear skills elsewhere in the city at any rate, but if it is competition you are after, you came to the right place." Oberyn merely laughed at the innuendo, before taking a position across the ring from Ruadan. The two advanced toward each other carefully, before Oberyn swiftly thrust forward with his spear, Ruadan merely dodging to the side, using the sword in his right hand to knock the spear around, before bringing his left sword up to block another slash of his spear wielding opponent. Before Oberyn could react, Ruadan closed the distance between them, slamming the pommel of his right hand sword into Oberyn's jaw, tripping him up, before stepping on his arm, and bringing both swords to the Prince of Dorne's throat. Oberyn chuckled once more. "Still as efficient and deadly as ever I see. I'll get you back in the melee."

Jon chose this moment to speak up. "Forgive me, but did you just call Prince Oberyn uncle, my prince?". Ruadan regarded Jon for a moment before replying. "Yes, and my reasons are private until the announcement I will be making at the end of the tourney feast. With that, Ruadan went to get changed before his evening meal.

As he entered his chambers and disrobed, he felt someone place their hands over his eyes. "Guess who lover?" Purred a voice in his ear, causing Ruadan to smile. "It has been a while, my dear Princess, Turning to face the Princess of Dorne, Arianne Nymerios Martell. "I see you have been waiting for me? I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long?" Arianne smirked. "Not too long lover, but long enough. You will need to make it up to me before waiting." With that said, she sauntered over to the bed, discarding her clothes, before climbing in, with Ruadan swiftly joining her. Owain, who was standing guard outside, simply chuckled mentally, as he heard the moans coming from the Prince's room. 'That's one way to announce your arrival to him Arianne, I'll give you that.'

Cersei Lannister

Cersei sat with her wine goblet in hand, thinking of what she should do now. She had managed to gain Sansa's trust easy enough, the girl was so easy to manipulate it wasn't even funny to her. However, it was not the Stark girl that was weighing on her mind. 'The Dornish whore is in the capital again, no doubt trying to seduce my son again.' Oh how she loathed the thought of it. Despite everything she had tried over the years, nothing seemed to influence her little black stag to listen to her. She admitted she may have neglected him in favour of his older brother, but felt that he should at least listen to his mother and stop seeing the Dornish princess.

She sighed. 'Still, I can't do anything with the Red Viper here. If I even so much as make her sniffle, that snake will slit my throat in my sleep'. She had been planning to keep Arianne too busy with meetings with other ladies of the court to see her son, but that had failed. 'At least she has a brain' Cersei scoffed mentally. That made her better than almost all the noblewomen at court in the game of thrones, precisely why Cersei wanted rid of her. _'Queen you shall be, until another, younger, more beautiful, will come to cast you down and take all you hold dear'_. The Queen shuddered as she remembered the old crone's prophecy. As she remembered the second part of it. ' _Four children you shall have. Two shall be crowned, one in gold, one in steel. Their combined fury shall split the land in two. When the time comes, Tyne Tresy (Second Son) will be your doom, and your saviour'_. 'Ruadan...' Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts, Cersei prepared for dinner. 'Ruadan will come back to me eventually, his mother knows best. That Dornishwoman will bring my son naught but ill'.

 **Boom! Another chapter finished, and apologies if it's a bit short. So, I used this chapter to start setting up the political cobweb that is soon going to spin itself around everyone in the capital. The Princess gets some time with her Prince, and Oberyn is introduced. As you will have noticed, Ruadan already calls him Uncle, and their close friendship will be explored in future chapters. I am not very good at writing fight scenes, so you will have to bear with me for that.**

 **Sorry it took so long to get this out, but I still have some writer's block issues and personal life issues to deal with, but I can say I'm honestly suprised that the story has done as well as it has, and I'm glad people are enjoying it. I didn't anticipate people enjoying it as much as they have done, so thanks to all those who have favourited and followed, I really appreciate it. Now, onto the reviews:**

 **Nathaniel of House Willum: Well, Oberyn and Arianne have appeared, and they have shared some witty banter on Oberyn's part and Arianne being, well... Arianne. There will be plenty of interaction within the chapters to come, so hope you enjoy it.**

 **Guest: Thanks for all the information. I will certainly consider plenty of the points you have raised. Hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Guest 2: Glad you enjoyed it. Hope this chapter is good enough for you as well! Here's your update.**

 **Trystane Martell: Well here's your next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks for reading, and don't forget to fav and follow if you enjoy the story, and review as well, constructive critism is welcome, but no flaming. See you in the next chapter o/**

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	9. Chapter 8 - Plotting Princes

Stag Of The Storm Chapter 8 - The Plotting Princes

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan sat at his desk in his solar, quietly contemplating his options for the future as Prince Oberyn told him of what the Dornish were capable of providing in the war that is likely to come. Ruadan, like every other noble in the country, had plans, only his plans were bigger than most, and would be far more difficult to accomplish.

"We can provide around thirty thousand troops to the field, as well as provide valuable political support, given that Arianne is a descendant through the female line of house Targaryen." This much Ruadan already knew. The Dornish army was strong, but without the might of the Stormland army, he couldn't rely on them to be able to fight effectively in war. That was an issue, as Renly controlled the Stormlands, and Renly was in essence a Tyrell puppet. Ruadan decided to make his thoughts known to his soon to be uncle.

"The problem is Renly. Unless we get him on our side, which is unlikely, or eliminate him, which I would prefer to avoid if possible, then the strength of both the Stormlands and the Reach will be arrayed against you, thus it is safe to assume that a protracted border conflict would take place between said kingdoms and Dorne, meaning that while tying Renly down so I may deal with any Lannister insurrection, means that those thirty thousand spears will not be able to aid me till he is dealt with in some way." Ruadan was annoyed at Uncle Renly. The man was a fool, too blinded by his love for Loras Tyrell to realise he was being used, perhaps not by Loras himself, but by the Tyrells as a whole. Their manipulations had blinded him to the value of family, just like Cersei was doing with Sansa. That was another situation irritating the second prince to no end. Sansa had so readily sold out her family just to remain at Joffrey's side. 'That girl is in for a rude awakening sooner or later, and given my mother's growing impatience for seeing Joff on the throne, if I was a betting man, my money would be on sooner'.

"Why are you planning this anyway Ruadan. Not that I don't see what a vicious little cunt your brother is, but he is still your older brother." Ruadan mentally burst out laughing at that 'Is everyone really that blind? It took Jon Arryn and Uncle Stannis so long to figure it out, I almost wanted to cringe at how bad their investigation was going'.

"Clearly you do not know. What I say does not leave this room Prince Oberyn" Oberyn nodded, knowing Ruadan was serious when he used his title instead of Uncle. "Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella are only my half siblings. They were fathered by Jaime, not Robert. If you want proof, this book" Ruadan spoke in a hushed tone, lifting a book titled _Lineages of The Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms_ onto the table. "Contains details of all the noble familes of Westeros, and _every, single child_ of Baratheon blood has _black_ hair or _blue_ eyes, usually both, even when marrying Lannisters, and in the female line, so isn't it funny that the Lannister look that isn't common except in in-house marriages in the Lannister family is suddenly more prevelent than the Baratheon look? Joffrey has blonde hair, not black, green eyes, not blue, and does not have the physical build of any of the Baratheon family."

Oberyn's eyes widened. "So Joffrey has no claim on the throne?" Ruadan nodded. "Well that's as good a pretext as any for a war. I guess we start when Robert finally dies from either drinking, feasting or hunting?" Ruadan nodded, before speaking up to clarify a few things.

"Indeed, but we are to wait for my brother to make his own failures as a leader apparent before we act. I want Tommen and Myrcella out of the capital, as well as the Starks before this all begins. I will not have children caught up in the crossfire, and we need the support of the Starks. Further more my forces must be ready to be marshalled at a moments notice, as my secret weapons can only get us so far. Send a letter to Doran discreetly, asking him to have Dorne's forces prepared to move as soon as the signal is sent." Oberyn nodded his acceptance once more. Ruadan could feel the headache building, turning his head to look at his cyvasse board. "The board is set and the pieces are moving, and so the game begins."

Joffrey Baratheon

Joffrey was in a foul mood. His brother had humiliated him at the Trident, and no matter what mother said, he wasn't just going to let it go. Ruadan and the Starks had to be removed form the equation when he became King. He was above them all, and the world would be reminded when their heads were mounted on spikes as testement to his power.

"My Prince, is something the matter? You don't seem to be enjoying my company?" A naive, foolish voice spoke up from beside him. Sansa Stark was pretty enough, but unbelievably boring. He just wanted to be rid of his engagement to her, and get rid of her entire house, and give it to someone loyal, like one of his Lannister relatives. 'Ruadan is a threat, one that must be dealt with as soon as I inherit the throne. I will not let him humiliate me anymore than he already has. He will suffer.'

Turning to Sansa, Joffrey spoke in a soft spoken voice. "Apologies my lady, I was just thinking about what things I will do when I become King. How I will prove myself the most powerful King there ever was." Sansa beamed at him. Honestly, decieving the girl was so easy it wasn't even amusing to him anymore. She just absorbed whatever lies he fed her like a sponge. It was only a half-lie in this instence. He WAS planning on how to make himself powerful, he just neglected to mention the details.

Eddard Stark

Neds mind was reeling. So many questions answered, but even more new ones raised. He has just seen the blacksmith boy that he had been directed towards by Ruadan. The boy, Gendry, looked so uncannily like Robert it was slightly unnerving. Eddard was also keeping a keen eye on Baelish whenever he had the chance. Despite his wife's claims that he could be trusted, the mocking smirk on his face and Ruadan's accusations agains the man, backed up with proof, made Eddard want to have the man's head stuck on a spike above the gates of the capital.

The tourney was fast approaching, and Eddard was actually looking forward to seeing what Ruadan could do in combat, as the second prince was competing in the melee. He had heard rumours of his skill with dual wielding, but had yet to see him in action. Ned had also seen the results of Ruadan's well spent coin in King's Landing, with orphanges, and places of learning for the small folk being set up, because as Ruadan had put it 'whilst the small folk should never be granted too much liberty for the sake of stability, having them all illiterate, and begging on the streets is foolish. This way they can be of some use instead of just clogging up the streets of the capital'.

As Eddard re-entered the Red Keep, he had to wonder what Ruadan was hoping to achieve with all his plans for the capital. What was his goal? The Warden of the North sat down in his solar, contemplating what he had learned, and wondering where he should go next. Little did Lord Stark know just how much danger his latest foray had put him in.

 **Hey guys. Sorry it's a short chapter, as I know you guys all want longer ones, but I suffer from the dreaded writer's block a lot, but I do get done what I can. So in this chapter, we got in insight into what Ruadan is planning, and he has figured out the truth of his siblings' parentage. How? Well that will be revealed in a later chapter. Joffrey gets a little screen time here, letting us know of his own plans when he becomes King, and Ned begins to find out the truth with Ruadan showing the way instead of Littlefinger, as I have plans in mind for him. Now, onto the reviews!**

 **jaeharys targr34: Glad you are enjoying it!**

 **Pyromania101: The thought has crossed my mind, and I have some people in mind, and yeah, I think the OC Baratheon/Stark pairing is so overdone it's not even funny, and this way a new dimension is added to the story with the Martells being commited to one side from the get-go.**

 **chase manaena: Here's the update!**

 **Guest 1: That is true. Ruadan had learnt the art of ruling from Tywin, and also inherited his intollerance for failure.**

 **Guest 2: Here you go!**

 **Guest 3: Yep, Eddard is finally opening his eyes, as it is important to the story, and my plans for the Starks. Oberyn is certainly a cool guy, and I'm glad to see you like the story!**

 **riley1506106: Hmm, sounds like something that could be good, I'll certainly consider it, as it would help explain how Ruadan got close to Doran and Oberyn as well, and explain how he chose her as his betrothed.**

 **mpowers045: Glad you like the story!**

 **So that's it for this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one, which will hopefully be a little longer. Thanks for reading, don't forget to favourite and follow if you like the story, and review, I always enjoy seeing your opinions on the story! See you next time o/**

 **ImperialPrussia**


	10. Chapter 9 - The Tourney

Stag of the Storm Chapter 9 - The Tourney

Ruadan Baratheon

The Hand's Tourney was the grandest that had been held in recent memory. Hundreds of knights, from noble houses to mystery and hedge knights, had decided to compete. Ruadan was currently say with his family watching the jousts. While it showed the skill of a rider, to Ruadan jousting wasn't a true test of martial skill, but simply a game to see who had better aim with a fake lance on horseback. That is why he didn't compete in the joust, instead saving himself for the melee, a true test of physical prowess, endurance and skill with a weapon. Ruadan was using a one handed longsword and a sabre for the melee, as the sabre allowed for greater defensive manouvering to regain the offensive should he be forced to defend for any reason.

Ruadan tuned out of his mental recital of his moves using this style in time to see Prince Oberyn Martell land some hedge knight in the dirt. Not a surprise really, Oberyn was always known to be dangerous with a lance, especially after the incident with Ser Willas Tyrell. 'Good thing that Willas doesn't let that cloud his judgement on the Martells, unlike his fathead father'. Ruadan would admit to those he trusted that he did not like the Fat Flower. At all. The man was one of those seducing Renly with false promises of power, making him betray his own kin for the sake of ambition. His pettiness would be his undoing, as Willas had been in contact with Ruadan and Oberyn and was part of their plans. 'I do hope Willas can convince Olenna and the others when the time comes... If not, we may be forced to take drastic action to eliminate the Fat Flower's inteference in my plans for the Reach'.

Back to the tourney, Ruadan suddenly clenched up at the sight of the 'knight' thundering towards the Royal Box. 'Ser' Gregor Clegane, The Mountain That Rides. To Tywin, he was a valuable asset, and a mad dog to unleash on his enemies. To Ruadan, he was a mindless beast who should be put down before his masters drop his leash. Allowing Gregor to live was one of his father's most stupid decision in Ruadan's eyes. Not only did it allow the brute to continue tormenting the people of the Seven Kingdoms, but also earnt him the ire of the Dornish, and, for a time, the Starks. Against the dreaded Mountain, was a recently knighted squire, Ser Hugh of the Vale. 'He doesn't stand a chance in hell, and what idiot designed that helmet? Does he have a death wish?'. Ruadan's concerns proved justified, as on the first tilt, the Mountain drove his lance upwards at the final moment, shattering his lance against Ser Hugh's brestplate and driving large splinters of wood into the poor boy's throat. 'That monster did that on purpose' Ruadan mentally scowled, and wanted nothing more than to have the Mountain beheaded on the spot, but there was nothing he could do about that. Instead, he climbed down from the box towards the fallen knight, still choking and spluttering on the ground. Ruadan pulled out a knife, wordlessly asking the knight whether he wanted him to end his suffering. Recieving a nod in response, Ruadan slipped his knife into the base of the man's skull, and after a few seconds, his spluttering fell silent as the life drained from the eyes of Ser Hugh of the Vale. Ruadan then lifted his body up and took it to the Silent Sisters himself, not out of grievance for the fallen knight, but out of pity for another poor victim of the monster known as 'Ser' Gregor Clegane'.

By the time Ruadan had got cleaned up and returned to the tourney, Prince Oberyn had defeated Ser Jaime and the Hound, and would face the winner of the current joust. Ser Loras Tyrell vs The Mountain. 'He'll be using the mare-in-heat trick again I don't doubt' Ruadan thought, and he could tell his thoughts were true as Clegane was clearly struggling to keep control of his stallion. As the two clashed, The Mountain was sent sprawling onto the ground, and the crown errupted for the Knight of Flowers. Ruadan saw Oberyn smirking next to him, no doubt from both seeing the Mountain thrown on his arse, and the prospect of facing another of Lord Tyrell's sons in the final bout. However, steel was then head being drawn, and before anyone could react, Gregor Clegane decapitated his horse in a single stroke, before advancing on Tyrell, knocking him off his horse.

Ruadan and Oberyn reacted quickly, jumping down and pushing the brute back from Tyrell. Ruadan helped the dazed Ser Loras to his feet as the Red Viper and the Mountain clashed. The two swung and hacked at each other, roaring like rival lions intent on tearing each other apart before his father decided to intervene. "STOP THIS MADNESS IN THE NAME OF YOUR KING!" The two disnengaged, glaring at the King, Oberyn then glancing at Ruadan, who nodded, before backing down. Clegane was allowed to leave the field, though the second Prince would rather see him thrown in the Black Cells for his actions today, attempting to murder both a son of a Lord Paramount, and a Prince of Dorne. Ser Loras, having seemed to finally regain the use of his tongue, spoke up. "I owe you my life, Prince Martell". Oberyn simply shrugged it off, before the Tyrell raised Oberyn's hand in the air, signifying him as the victor of the jousting.

The Red Viper

What Oberyn wouldn't have given to have killed the Mountain on that jousting field, but it seemed it was not to be. 'At least not this time' Oberyn thought darkly. The younger brother of Dorne's ruling Prince sat watching as his friend Ruadan stood regally on the field, along side around 200 other knights seeking fame, glory, or perhaps an early grave. That last thought may have seemed morbid, but it was true, and would be even more so if Oberyn were down on the melee field, but alas, he left this task to the second Prince, who Oberyn had initially hated, but now viewed as much a part of his family as his own children.

The Martells had met Ruadan on his travels around Westeros. The Prince had been visiting six of the Seven Kingdoms, as no Baratheon in their right mind would set foot on the Iron Islands, not that any of that family, besides Ruadan now of course, in their right mind would set foot in Dorne. It was a slow process, but Ruadan slowly grew on the Martells, partularly Arianne, who grew very... fond of the Baratheon Prince. Indeed, Ruadan and the Martells had several similar goals. The punishment of Elia's murderers and preventing anything of the ilk happening again, ensuring tyranny never returned to Westeros, as he brought rather disturbing information regarding the growing madness of Viserys Targaryen over his visits and through letters, along with closer unification of the Seven Kingdoms to prevent further civil war and harming of those not involved in the fighting, at least as much as possible.

Oberyn was snapped from his musings as a horn sounded, and the melee began. Ruadan immediately sprang into action, swiftly knocking down some Frey knight, and moving on to his next foe. The Black Prince moved with seeming ease, due to years of exstensive practice in the art of combat, and levelled his fair share of opponents to the ground. Other promising contenders included The Hound, and Brienne of Tarth, who were beating their opponents down ruthlessly with incredible strength. Soon, these three were the last left standing. Ruadan moved forward quickly towards the Maid of Tarth, as she was probably the more formidable threat. Try as she might, Brienne could not break through Ruadan's defence with his sabre. No matter where she swung her axe, the sabre always seemed to be there to block. Ruadan then spun around her, sweeping her feet out from underneath her with a well placed sweeping kick to the ankles, bringing his blades to her throat and forcing her to yield. Ruadan brought his blades back up just in time to block a vicious onslought from the Hound, who had been waiting to beat down the weary winner of this fight. Oberyn watched on without concern, unlike many others, including Arianne, Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard, Queen Cersei, and surprisingly King Robert. It seems Ser Barristan also knew what Ruadan was doing here, if the appraising look on his face was any indication, as did the Kingslayer, Ser Jaime. Ruadan simply remained resolutely on the defense, stopping any blow that got too close to dodge, and avoiding ones that could do him any damage, even if blocked. Soon, his strategy became clear, as the Hound began to tire. Even a man of the Hound's build couldn't swing a large blade around for too long without tiring. As Sandor's fatigue became more pronounced, Ruadan pulled off a brilliant counter-riposte, which even though these were only blunted tourney blades, would still leave a nasty bruise, before proceding to mercilessly beat The Hound back, before slamming the flat of his longsword hard on the back of Clegane's sword hand, forcing the man to drop his blade, before bringing both swords to Sandor's throat and forcing him to yield.

The crown was silent for a moment before an overwhelming chorus of cheers broke out for the Black Prince. The King was beaming from ear to ear, The Queen looked reilieved her son was safe, and proud of his victory, Joffrey looked disappointed, and Tommen and Myrcella were happy to see their big brother unharmed. Once the participants had a chance to clean themselves up and get dressed into presentable clothes, everyone prepared to make their way down to the feast.

Cersei Lannister

Right now, The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms sat at the feast to celebrate the end of the Hand's Tourney, and her son's victory in the melee. Cersei would have prefered him not to enter at all, but once Ruadan was set on something, there was no changing his mind. At times, the Queen wished her son wasn't so damn stubborn, but he was very determined, and there was no talking him out of something he was going to do, or into something he didn't want to. Like escorting Arianne Martell to the feast instead of Arya Stark. Don't get her wrong, Cersei despised the Stark girl, she just loathed the Princess of Dorne even more. 'Is this how that lobster Stannis feels whenever he is slighted?' Cersei thought, as she ground her teeth at hearing her second son's heartwarming chuckle at some remark made by Princess Arianne, not that she could do anything about it with the Red Viper also sat with them.

Robert was surprisingly sober for once, and soon it became apparent why. The King stood up and the hall fell silent. "Over this last week, we have had a tremendous show of strength, honour, skill and valour, and my son has proven himself worthy of a reward. Prince Ruadan Baratheon, step forward!" Ruadan stood up from his seat, walked around the table and stood before the King. "Kneel". Ruadan then swore the sacred oaths of knighthood, before standing again. "Rise, Ser Ruadan Baratheon!" Robert grinned from ear to ear, and Ruadan smiled at his father. "You know how to make your old man pround boy" Ruadan smirked at that comment. "Now let us feast till our bellies are full of meat and wine!". And as the King commanded, the feast began.

As the feast wore on, some lords would rise to make small speeches praising the King and Queen. Just before everyone was about to leave, Ruadan stood up. 'What is he doing?' Cersei thought, as he noticed the uncharictaristically serious look on his face. The Queen was worried about what he was going to say. "My Lords, My Ladies. For a long time, the people of the Seven Kingdoms have fought and bled, sometimes alongside one another, at other times on the other side of the battlefield from one another. However, it is time to put the past behind us and move forward to a better future for all Westeros. I intend to play my part through the act of matrimony." Cersei's breath caught in her throat, not expecting this, and from Robert's wide-eyed look, niether had he. 'Please don't see your going to marr-" Cersei's thought was cut off and proved true when Ruadan spoke. "I intend to marry Princess Arianne Nymerios Martell, and put to an end the long and turbulent history Dorne has had with the Seven Kingdoms" 'NO!' Cersei mentally screamed. 'THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!' The room was quiet from a moment from the shock of this announcment, before the room burst into a round of applause, many ladies shooting looks of envy at Princess Arianne. All except three. Sansa, who only had eyes for Joff, Arya, who didn't seem bothered, and Cersei. If looks could kill, Arianne Martell would be dead a thousand times over. She would be having words with her son about this, and it seems Robert was deeply unsettled too, as everyone began to retire for the evening. As Cersei fell asleep that night, she thought of ways in which she could end this betrothal, but little did she know how little control she really had over the situation, or how much attention she had failed to pay to the developments going on right beneath her nose.

 **So, there is the longest chapted of the story so far, and let me profusely apologise for how long it has taken me! Between family, univeristy and health issues, I have had little time to dedicate to this story, but I figured I have made you wait long enough, so here is another update. Figured you guys would want to see a little drama between Oberyn and the Mountain, so he and Ruadan intervene to save Loras instead of Sandor. I also included a little monologue for Oberyn explaining some of the reasons for becoming close to Ruadan. Don't get me wrong, Ruadan and Oberyn know people die in war all the time, they just want to prevent it from happening in situations such as with Elia and her children. Ruadan shows off some of his skills and tactics in combat (for the sabre, think of a Polish sabre), and reveals his engagement to Arianne, and Cersei is not happy! Hope I did this well for you (I'm no expert on writing fight scenes), and that you enjoyed the chapter. Now onto the reviews:**

 **Heil-Uchiha: Well, quite a bit it seems! Hope this lived up to your expectations!**

 **Pyromania101: I don't intend for him to be. Ruadan is someone who is not very personally involved with everything like William is. He surrounds himself with advisors and followers who know how to do things he can't. I don't intend for him to be an ace, but he certainly won't be a slouch either. Learning from Stannis Baratheon and Tywin Lannister wouldn't allow that. I probably won't make him as cold as Jasper is, but I can see where you are coming from with that. A Song of Vengeance and Justice is an amazing fanfic, and one of my favourites. Ruadan, for all his talents, is still a man, and is not immune to Arianne's... alure let's say. There will be ramifications for marrying a Martell. I'm glad you like the idea, and that you enjoy reading it as I enjoy writing it as I find the time, and as for a beta-reader, I have a friend who is a keen writer who I will be sending chapter drafts off to from now on to see what they think, and if they like it, then it gets posted, if not, I improve it based on their advice. As you can see, this chapter was the longest by far, and I hope I have done it justice!**

 **Guest: As you wish!**

 **chase manaena: Your wait is finally over!**

 **And that's the reviews. All feedback (i.e. constructive criticism) is welcome, so don't forget to favourite and follow if you like the story, and review. Authors LIVE on reviews, trust me. See you next chapter! o/**

 **ImperialPrussia**


	11. Chapter 10 - Consequences

Stag of the Storm Chapter 10 - Consequences

 **Hey. So finally back with another chapter, and sorry it took so long. I had to get a new PC as my old laptop broke about two months ago, so I was unable to work on this, and now, I feel I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Enough of my rambling, let's begin!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire, or Game of Thrones. All credit goes to their rightful owners.**

Ruadan Baratheon

Ruadan was currently sat behind his desk in his solar, letting out a sigh of exasperation as his mother stood in front of him, arguing for the gods knows how many time about his announcment to wed Arianne. "Why the hell would you marry that Dornish whore?! The Martells despise our family! She'll murder you in your sleep!" Queen Cersei was clearly working herself up into a hysterical screaming frenzy, hoping to intimidate Ruadan and force him to give up what she considered a foolish political objective.

"For the last time mother, my answer is NO. I will not end this arrangement, not after I spent so long fixing the wounds that were caused in this very keep 20 years ago, nor risk the wrath of the Dornish houses if we insult House Martell. This is vital for the security of the kingdoms, can't you understand that? Your personal feelings clearly cloud your judgement." The second prince of Westeros had been having this conversation with the Queen since his announcement at the end of the Tourney, and he didn't expect it to stop any time soon if he was honest with himself. He wanted nothing more than to have some peace and quiet after the stress of the last few months, but it seemed this was not to be. He still remembered the conversation, if you could call it that, with his father the day after the feast.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE YOU THINKING BOY?! I KNOW YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE MARTELLS FOR SOME REASON, BUT THIS IS MADNESS!" Ruadan resisted the urge to throw his drink in his father's face at this, and let out an aggravated sigh._

 _"Because father, twenty years ago, a great wrong was commited to their house in this city, and the ones responsible escaped justice. You may not be able to see the state of the political gameboard, but i can. If we are to have a hope of establishing a lasting Baratheon dynasty, we must unite the Seven Kingdoms properly. Having them swear oaths to you will only do so much. Anyone can say words, but only actions show a mans true intentions. I intend to bring Dorne back into the fold, and the Reach as well at some point. I would appreciate it if you do not intefere with my plans for unity." With that, Ruadan turned and left his father's chambers, his father looking a mix of pissed off, dumbfounded, and proud at his son for having the backbone to stand up to him._

 _ **Flashback End**_

"My decision is final. It matters not whether you like it or not mother, nothing will change the fact that I will be wedding Arianne Martell." Ruadan's tone and stone-cold facial expression made it clear that this was the end of the conversation. "Now if you will excuse me mother, I have work I must attend to." With that, Cersei huffed, and swept out of the room, clearly still deeply unhappy with her son's choices.

Joffrey Baratheon

'Why?!' Joffrey moaned internally. 'Why does HE get all the respect and attention?! I'm the Crown Prince damnit, their attention should be on me!' After the feast, Ruadan had been a centre of attention from all over the Kingdoms, even their Grandfather, the mighty Tywin Lannister and engaging as a brick wall Uncle Stannis, writing a letter of contgratulations on his knighthood, Tourney victory, and his bethrothal. Joffrey couldn't understand why his brother was so popular. Sure he was a Prince, even though Joffrey loathed the thought, and that was bound to bring some attention, but more attention than HIM?! That was unacceptable. 'I need to do something to curb his power. If I don't, he'll end up overthrowing me.' Joffrey's sick mind set to work trying to find a way to deal with this latest development that his brother had thrown at him, his upcoming marriage to the Princess of Dorne. 'Why can't you just accept your place in being less important than me?' Joffrey thought as his plotting continued.

Eddard Stark

Eddard sat reading through a book that Grand Maester Pycelle told him of that Jon Arryn had been reading before his death. Politics was beginning to take it's toll on him. His headaches were becoming near unbearable, and the prospect of clearing up his brother in all but bloods messes was becoming more daunting with every minute that passed. Now Prince Ruadan has thrown his own political move into the mix with his intention to marry Arianne Martell. Eddard was suprised the Dornish wanted anything to do with the Baratheons after Elia and her children died, as they were viewed as just as responsible for that as the ones who commited the act, because of Robert's refusal to punish them, and yet he had seen Oberyn talking, laughing and japing with Ruadan on more than one occasion, and a marriage agreement had now been reached. Ned was a little disappointed, as he had hoped to possibly wed Arya to Ruadan, but it seems this was not to be.

Ned turned his attantion back to the book in front of him. He studied the pages of House Baratheon with intent.

'Orys Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

'Lyonel Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

'Ormund Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

'Steffon Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

'Robert Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

Then Eddard's eyes widened as he read the next two entries after Robert and his brothers.

'Joffrey Baratheon, Green of Eye, Gold of Hair'

'Ruadan Baratheon, Blue of Eye, Black of Hair'

It all clicked, Robert's bastards all having his features. Bran's fall... he must have seen the Queen and Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella's real father together...

'By the gods, Joffrey is a bastard, which makes Prince Ruadan the rightful heir...'

 **Soooooo... Ned finally figured it out. What's gonna happen next? Stay tuned to find out! Anyway, this chapter was mostly to get an idea of the reaction to Ruadan announcing his upcoming marriage, and to give you guys a chapter after such a long time waiting, thank you all for being so patient!**

 **Now, onto the reviews:**

 **Guest (lol): Thanks! And your patience is rewarded. Enjoy!**

 **Guest (Boramir): Thank you! He certainly will be. As you can see, Cersei and Joff aren't happy.**

 **Guest (seraph): Thanks! Those are things that I may consider later on, but right now, I don't want to give him any more advantages in the upcoming conflict than he already has.**

 **Pyromania101: Well I'm glad you persevered with me and this story, even if it isn't the best. I'm glad my friend goes over the chapters too, as it gives me a bit of assurance before I post a new chapter. Yeah, there are too many 'Perfect OC Prince who fixes everything', and that, while in the well written stories, is good reading, it does get very dull, and it isn't realistic. Any character needs to have flaws to be believable.**

 **That's it for this chapter! Don't forget to favourite and follow if you like the story, and please, for the love of the old gods and the new, REVIEW! Reviews are the lifeblood of authors, we need them to inspire and motivate us to keep writing. See you all in the next chapter! o/**

 **ImperialPrussia**


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